Ring binder



June i c. D. TRUSSELL 2,321,559

RING BINDER Filed Nov. 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Shet 1 v INVENTOR D. TRUSSELL CLARENC ATT RN. Y

June 8, 1943. c. D. TRusELL 2,321,559

Y RING BINDER Filed Nov. 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CLARENCE D. TRUSS ELL ATT RN'EY Patented June 8, 1943 RING BINDER Clarence D. Trussell, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assignor to Trussell Manufacturing Company, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 23, 1942, Serial No. 466,692

1 Claim.' (01. 129--1) The invention here disclosed relates to ring binders.

Objects of the invention are to provide a practical and desirable binder, which can be constructed of non-metallic materials.

Particularly it is a purpose of the invention to secure the rings in a manner which will enable them to be opened up at one end, while remaining hingedly mounted at the opposite end. Also, to assure that the rings when thus opened up, will remain or stand in the opened up relation, thus to enable leaves to be readily engaged thereon or be removed therefrom.

Additional objects of the invention are to effect firm anchorage and support of the rings in the back structure of the binder and particularly thus to brace and to an extent reinforce and stiffen rings which may be made of more or less flexible materials, such as plastic.

Other desirable objects and the novel features by which objects of the invention are attained, will appear or are set forth in the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a number of the many possible embodiments of the invention but structure may be further modified and changed all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a broken plan and part sectional view of the binder having features of the invention incorporated therein.

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views as on lines 2-2 and 33 respectively of Fig. 1, illustrating one form of ring and the manner of unhooking it at one end and hinging it on the other end into an open position.

'Fig. 4 is a broken edge view illustrating the head portion by which the ring is secured in the back of the binder.

Fig. 5 is a broken cross-sectional view showing the ends of the ring anchored in the back piece.

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the hinging action of the anchored end of the ring.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken sectional detail illustrating the frictional wedging engagement of the ring in the back piece.

Figs. 8, 9, 10 are views generally corresponding to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and illustrating a modified form of the invention.

In the first embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the back I5, is of wood or other solid material, of substantially triangular slots, having the larger ends l8, toward the center of the back and the narrower ends l9, toward the side edges of the back. The narrower portions of these slots are undercut as indicated at 20, to leave the overstanding ledges 2|, for confining the ends of the rings.

The rings 22, may be of non-metallic material such as a flexible, resilient, plastic and they are shown as having angled-stem portions 23 forming heads such as 24 and shoulders 25 and 26, to enter and interlock in the slots.

The broken lines in Fig. 2, show how the ring may be released by forcing one end inward and upward of the inclined slot on that side until that end can escape through the enlargement at the inner end of the slot, while leaving the other end anchored in its position at the outer end of the other slot. Then the ring can be tipped back on the anchored end as a fulcrum as in Fig. 3 and because of the wedging engagement of this anchored end in the tilted back position, the ring will stand in this open relation to permit easy insertion or removal of sheets.

The ring may be closed by simply tilting or hinging it downward on the anchored end and squeezing the free end inward to enter the larger portion of the slot at that side. The inherent resiliency of the material will then cause the ring to expand to its full normal diameter and the passing of this end down the inclined groove and the rocking of the fulcrumed end back to final position all result in a wedging engagement of both the ends in the back piece, so that in final position, the ring is firmly held in the desired upstanding relation.

In Figs. 1 to 7, a wedging effect is obtained by grooving the sides of the shank portions of the rings as indicated at 2B, non-parallel to produce a reduced shank portion 29, of Wedge-shape, tapered toward the outside of the ring. This construction, as will be apparent in Fig. 7, causes the stems of the rings to wedge more firmly in position as they slide or are forced down the in clined grooves and this wedging result is accentuated at the fulcrum point as the ring is tilted back in the open position as represented in Figs. 3 and 6, so that the opened ring will stand in this open relation.

In Figs. 8, 9, 10, the wedging elfect is obtained by making the reduced shank portion 30, as thin or thinner than the narrow portion of the slot and by providing slight ridges 3|, 3|, and 32, 32, at the outer and inner edges of the reduced shank portion and of a height or extent to squeeze firmly in place against the side edges of the slot, preferably in both the fully seated and in the tilted back relations.

In all cases, the rings can be readily sprung into place or bedisconnected at either one or both ends and when so connected are held firmly both in the closed and in the open positions.

What is claimed is:

A binder comprising a back having oppositely disposed transversely extending slots undercut to provide opposed retaining ledges and enlarged at 10 the inner ends of said ledges and rings of springy material having stem portions of a size to enter the larger ends of said slots and to pass beneath said retaining ledges, said stem portions having reduced neck portions of wedge-shaped cross-section of a size to enter between and frictionally engage opposing edges of said retaining ledges and tapered toward the outer ends of said slots.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

